As part of its bicentennial celebration, the Supreme Court of North Carolina will hold its May sessions of court in Morganton, Hendersonville and Asheville on May 14-16.

WHAT
The Supreme Court of North Carolina will hear two cases at each location, with a 30-minute break between the first case and the second case which will begin at 11:00 a.m. View the calendar of arguments for cases and more details.

"The Supreme Court is celebrating its 200th anniversary next year in 2019, and as part of the celebration we're bringing the court to the people," said Chief Justice Mark Martin.

Under state law, the Supreme Court can meet in only two other cities outside of Raleigh - Edenton and Morganton. The General Assembly granted the Supreme Court's request to allow the justices to convene in cities across the state during the Court's 2018-2020 bicentennial celebration.

WHO
Chief Justice Martin will preside over oral argument, joined by the six associate justices of the court. The legal communities of each county also will gather for the sessions.

WHEN and WHERE
Two sessions will take place at each location. The first session will convene at 9:30 a.m., followed by a 30-minute break. The second session will convene at 11:00 a.m. News media should arrive 30 minutes prior to the convening time, particularly broadcast media who will require setup. No setup will be allowed after court has convened.

Monday, May 14 - Morganton
Historic Burke County Courthouse
102 E. Union St., Morganton, NC 28655
Video camera pool available.

Tuesday, May 15 - Hendersonville
Henderson County Historic Courthouse
Commissioners' Meeting Room, 1 Historic Courthouse Square, Hendersonville, NC 28792

Wednesday, May 16 - Asheville
Buncombe County Courthouse
60 Court Plaza, Asheville, NC 28801

Due to limited seating, admission to these sessions of court is by ticket only. To reserve a seat at any session for your news organization, please contact [email protected]. To reserve a seat at any Hendersonville session for your news organization, you may also contact Kathryn Finotti at [email protected].

MORE INFORMATION
The Supreme Court of North Carolina is the state’s highest court and there is no further appeal from its decisions on matters of state law. It comprises the Chief Justice, who also serves as the head of the Judicial Branch, and six associate justices, each serving eight-year terms.

For more information about the Supreme Court, or to request a speaker to discuss the role and importance of the Judicial Branch and court systems at your next event, please visit Celebrate.NCcourts.org.